Packaging machine



y 1944- G. A. ROBINSON 2,352,863

' PACKAGING' MACHINE Original Filed July 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J ly 1944'- G. A. ROBINSON PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed July 14, 1939 2 Sheets-She a; 2

Patented July 4, 1944 PACKAGING MACHINE George A. Robinson, Milton, Mass., assignor to 1 Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application July 14, 1939, Serial No. 284,414. Divided and this application April 4, 1940, Serial No. 327,764

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a packaging machine and more particularly to a container filling machine.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a novel and improved packaging machine embodying load forming mechanism inwhich provision is made for controlling the machine in a novel and practical manner to prevent an insuflicient supply of material to the load forming mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved container filling machine in which predetermined volumes of material are deposited into successive containers and in which provision is made by novel mechanism for assuring a sufficient supply of material to the loads .forming mechanism to provide such predetermined volumes at all times during the operation of the machine. 1

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved multiple station container filling machine having provision for delivering a predetermined bulk or primary load into a container at one station of operation and for delivering one or more additional increments of material to the container at one or more succeeding stations and in which provision is made by novel mechanism for assuring a sufficient supply of material to assure the introduction of predetermined bulk loads into the containers at all times during the operation of the machine.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the packaging machine and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims atthe end of this specification.

. In the drawings illustrating the preferredem- I bodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a front ele vation of a packaging machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the measuring conveyer to be referred to; Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. v

The present invention may be embodied with advantage in either a single station filling machine or in a multiple stationmachine. In the latter instance the primary orbulk load may be introduced into a container at onestation and one or more additional increments of material may be added at one or more succeeding station's, and the final loads which may be deter.. mined by weighing scales or in other desired manner. The invention is of particular advantage in the type of multiple station package filling machine where a measured quantity of material is delivered at the first station of operation and where additional measured increments are added at succeeding weighing stations in response to mechanism controlled by the weighing scales and wherein additional increments of material are added only when the preceding load falls below a predetermined minimum weight. In such machines, if the primary load falls short of a predetermined minimum weight, even though additional increments of material 'are added at each of the succeeding stations in response to such underweight as indicated by the weighing scales, the package may still be under the required weight at the end of the filling operation.

In accordance with the present invention provision is made for controlling the operation of the machine when the supply of material to the primary loading station falls below a predetermined rate to prevent the delivery of insufficient amounts or loads of material into the containers during the operation of the machine. The invention may also be embodied in a two station package filling machine wherein a bulk load is introduced at the primary station and a drip load is added at the final station provided with a weighing scale and in which the drip stream continues to how until the package has reached the required weight. In such a machine, if the primary load falls below a predetermined minimum the drip stream will be required to fiow for an unreasonably long period of time to bring the package up to the required weight, thereby increasing the filling time. In accordance with the present invention, such delay is eliminated by assuring the delivery of the proper quantity of material at the primary or bulk loading station.

Referring now to the drawings, for the purpose of illustration, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a multiple station package filling machine which, except as hereinafter pointed out, ma comprise the two station package machines of the type illustrated and described in the United States patent to Cleaves, No. 1,739,061,

December 10, 1929. Only sufiicient portions of the complete packaging machine have been herein illustrated and will be described as appear to be necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention.

In general, the machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a bulk loading station In adapted to deliver a measured primary load into a container I2 supported beneath it upon a transfer plate I3 and between guide rails I5, I'I. Provision is made for moving the container after it has received its bulk load onto an intermediate platform which may be referred to as a tapping mechanism I4 which operates to shake down the bulk load to settle it in the container, after which the container is advanced to a weighing scale I6 of the final loading station I6. The final loading station comprises in part a vibratory feeder I9 and a hopper 26 adapted to deliver a stream of the material being weighed into the container which has previously been supplied with the bulk load. 4

Th empty containers are fed into the machine by a constantly driven inlet conveyer 22 until the foremost container thereon engages a fixed stop 24 and a transfer plate 26 is arranged to thereafter engage the foremost container on the inlet conveyer and push it into a position where it may be engaged by one of a plurality of spaced pusher arms 28 on an endless intermittently driven chain 3|! by which the container is moved beneath the bulk loading station In. The transfer plate. 26 is arranged to operate in timed relation to the series of pusher arms 28 on the conveyer chain 36 to intermittently feed the containers in succession first to the bulk loading station I6, then to thetapping mechanism I4, and then onto theweighing scale I6 of the final loading station. Finally, after the container has received its final load, it is discharged from the machine upon a discharge conveyer 32.

The present filling machine is particularly adapted for packaging relatively coarse or bulky materials such as, for example, thin wafers, crackers, lump starch, elbow macaroni, etc., and is designed to handle such materials in a smooth and gentle manner, with a minimum breakage of the goods.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, the present bulk loading mechanism I6 may and preferably will comprise a. measuring device including an endless driven belt conveyer 34 provided with a plurality of spaced pusher plates 36 traversable through a conduit formed by the side walls 38, 40 of a hopper 42, thus forming a series of compartments or pockets 43 of equal capacity. Material is supplied to the conveyer 34 in a continuous stream from any source of supply by a belt conveyer 45 running over a pulley 41 at one end and the material is arranged to fiow from the belt 45 by gravity down an inclined chute 46 directly into the compartments 43 on the conveyer 34. As herein shown, the inclined chute 46 is pivotally mounted at its lower end upon a pin 48 supported in the machine frame and the upper end is supported through a connecting link 56 by one end of a counterweighted balance beam 52 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The belt conveyer 34 is arranged to be driven intermittently in timed relation to the movement of the containers I2, and in the operation of the machine, the contents of an'individual compartment are delivered through the hopper 42 into a container positioned beneath it during each cycle of operation of the machine. Provision is also made in the preferred embodiment of the invention for levelling off the material in the top of the compartments during the operation of the machine and, as herein shown, a pair of continuously rotated brushes 54, 56 disposed above the conveyer 34 are arranged to sweep any as leather so as to effect a gentle combing action upon the goods and to prevent breakage thereof, particularly when fragile goods such as thin wafers or crackers are being run. The brushes are arranged to be driven' continuously through surplus material ed the top and in a backward connections from the main driving shaft I6 of the machine, as will be described.

As illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 and 4, the conveyer belt 34, which may comprise any suitable fiexible belting material, forms the bottom of the measuring compartments. The belt is supported along its longitudinal edges by the turned in lower edges II, 13 of the side walls 33, 40. Each pusher plate 36, which may be made of metal, is attached to the flexible belt by bolts 14 extending through a base 16 and an elongated cross bar 60 disposed below the belt, the latter forming part of the driving connections to the belt. As herein shown, each cross bar 86 is connected at either end to driving chains 62, 64 which are arranged to' run over similar sprockets 86, 68 mounted upon cross shafts 66, 92 respec-, tively.

Provision is made for guiding the chains 62, 84 along the upper run in order to support the pusher plates 36 during their travel through the upper or measuring run of the conveyer and as herein shown, the upper run of each chain is guided between spaced upper rails 64, 96. Provision is also made for retaining the pusher plates 36 in a vertical position with respect to the flexible belt during their travel through the conduit, and to this end, each cross bar 66 is provided with an angularly extended arm 68 carrying a roller I66 at its outer end, which is arranged to engage the top of a rail 34 whereby to prevent the plates 36 from tipping backward when they engage the material being delivered to the belt as clearly illustrated in Fig 2. Provision is also made for intermittently moving the belt 34 through connections from the main driving shaft 15 as will be described, and as illustrated in Fig. 3, each intermittent movement of the belt will advance a pusher plate 36 a suificient distance to permit the contents of a compartment to be dis-- charged into a container. During its travel through the lower or return run, the chains .62, 84 are supported upon guide rails I62 to guide the pusher plates and the belt through the casing I64 enclosing the lower run, the latter forming a part of the hopper 42.

As above stated, in general, the construction and mode oi. operation of the illustrated two station filling machine, except as herein pointed out, may comprise that of the known automatic filling machine as fully illustrated and described in the patent to Cleaves, to which reference is made. For an understanding of the operation of such machine, it may be stated that the machine is operated in successive cycles. During the first part of each cycle in the operation of the machine, the bulk loading, tapping and final weighing operations described take place. After the container I2 on the weighing scale I6 has reached its full weight, the second part of the cycle'is mechanism is actuated to advance a container to the position previously occupied by the preceding one. In other words, an unfilled container is fed into position ,under the bulk loading mechanism and the container with its bulk load is fed onto the weighing scale I6 and the completely weighed container is fed onto the discharge conveyer 32 to be discharged from the machine.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, the main driving shaft 16 of the machine is rotated continuously through any usual or preferred source of power, herein shown as an electric motor I06 whose pulley I08 is connected by a belt H to a pulley H2. The pulley H2 is secured to one end of an intermediate shaft II4 journaled in'the bearings of a bracket H6 mounted on the machine frame. The other end of the intermediate shaft H4 is provided with a bevel pinion H8 which meshes with a bevel gear I20 mounted upon the main shaft 15. As illustrated in Fig. .l, the rotary brushes 54, 56 are driven continuously through a sprocket I22 fast on the main shaft 15 and which is connected by a chain I24 to a sprocket I26 fast on the shaft 58, the latter being supported in the side frames I28, I30 mounted upon the machine frame. V

In order to intermittently drive the conveyer belt 34 provision is made for controlling the driving connections through the usual pawl and ratchet control mechanism, indicated generally at I32 which is adapted to be engaged to rotate one half revolution with the main shaft 15 at the end of the package moving period of operation. As herein illustrated, a cam I34 rotatable with the ratchet mechanism I32 is-arranged to cooperate with a roller I36 carried by one arm I38 of a bell-crank pivoted at I40 on the machine frame. The roller is urged into engagement with its cam by a spring I42, and as shown in Fig. 1, the second arm I44 of the bell-crank is operatively connected to a clutch member I46 slidingly mounted on and arranged to rotate with the main shaft 15. During the container filling cycle of operation, the clutch member I46 is moved into cooperative engagement with a sprocket I50 loosely mounted upon the shaft 15, and as herein shown, the sprocket I50 is connected by a chain I52 to a sprocket I54 fast upon the conveyer shaft 90. The cam I34 is designed to hold the clutch member I46 and sprocket I50 in engagement for a sufiicient period of time to advance the belt 34 to deliver a measured load into a container positioned upon the platform I3 whereupon the clutch is disengaged.

During the bulk loading operation, as above described, a previously loaded container positioned upon the weighing scale I6 is receiving it drip or final load from the hopper 20. When.

the container has received its full weight, the control mechanism, indicatedgenerally at I56 is actuated to close a shutter I58 cutting off the drip stream and to start thepackage moving cycle of operation through connections indicated generally at I60 and as fully illustrated and described in the patent to Cleaves above referred to.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the goods being introduced ,into the measuring compartments 43 are normally delivered thereto in a continuous and substantially uniform stream from the point of supply by thebelt 45 and through the inclined chute 46. As herein shown, the balance beam 52 supporting one endof the chute 46 is mounted upon knife edges I62 in a standard supported upon the machine frame and is provided with a counterweight I64 at its other end. When the material flowing through the chute 46 passes at a normal rate of flow and in an amount suftlcient to flll the compartments 43, the weight of the material will counterbalance the beam 62 and hold the beam in an horizontal position against a sto member I68, as shown in Fig. 3. When, however, the rate at which the material 1o\ passes through the chute falls below the desired predetermined minimum, then the counterweight I64 will overbalance the beam causing the latter to be rocked to an angular position. f

' Provision is made for interrupting the circuit to the motor I06 when the balance beam 62 is thus rocked, in order to stop the machine and as herein shown, a mercury switch I forming part of the circuit is attached to the balance beam 62. The switch I10 is arranged to be closed to permit the machine to run when the balance beam is disposed in an horizontal position as shown and to be opened when the balance beam is rocked, whereby the power supply to the motor is cut off. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the circuit to the motor I06 includes the leads I12, I14 the latter being connected directly to the motor and the lead I12 being connected to the mercury switch, the circuit being completed by the lead I16 running from the mercury switch to the motor. An auxiliary switch I18 may be provided to cut out the mercury switch when required, as when it is desired to run the remaining material out of the machine at the end of the day's run.-

From the above description, it will be observed that in operation, if the weight of the material passing through the chute at any time falls below a predetermined amount corresponding to the counterweight upon the beam 52, the power supply will be cut oil and conversely, when the weight of the material in the chute again reaches the predetermined amount, the power will again be'reestablished to start the machine. In this manner, it is possible to prevent an insufllcient supply of material to the measuring device to thereby assure formation of a uniform bulk load of material in each compartment to be delivered to the individual containers.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 284,414, filed July 14, 1939.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has'been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: y

1. In a packaging machine, in combination, container moving means, material supply means, means for measuring predetermined volumes of material and depositing them into successive containers delivered by said container moving means, and means for preventing an insuflicient through said chute is diminished below a predetermined amount.

2. In a packaging machine, in combination, container moving means, material supply means, means for measuring predetermined volumesof material delivered by said supply means including a conduit and a conveye having .a plurality of equally spaced pockets traversable through said conduit and adapted to empty their individual contents into successive containers de- 10 livered by said container moving means during the operation of the machine, and means for preventing insuflicient supply of material being delivered to said pockets including a pivotally mounted chute arranged to deliver the material from said supply means to said measuring means, a counterweighted balance beam for supporting one end oi said pivotally mounted chute, a circuit including an electric motor for driving said measuring means, and a switch in said circuit adapted to be opened by the movement of said balance beam when the supply of material flow ing through said chute is diminished.

3. In a packaging machine, in combination, load forming mechanism having a plurality of separate compartments for receiving separate predetermined loads of fiowable solid material, an impertorate conduit for feeding material by gravity in a substantially uniform stream to said load forming mechanism, means for supplying material to said conduit, said conduit being mounted for movement under the influence of slight variations in the weight of the stream of material flowing therethrough from a predetermined value, and means actuated by movement of said conduit for stopping the load forming mechanism when theweight of the stream of material flowing through said conduit falls below a predetermined amount suflicient to provide said predetermined loading.

GEORGE A. ROBINSON. 

